Does Pam conformation influence the behaviour of polyacrylamide/cellulose nanocrystal (Pam/CNC) composites?

In this work, a series of polyacrylamide/cellulose nanocrystal (PAM/CNC) composites with a wide range of compositions were prepared by a solution casting method. Subsequently, the influence of the PAM conformation on the behaviour of the PAM/CNC composites was studied.

What is a conformation stimuli-response of an adsorbed polymer?

A conformation stimuli-response of an adsorbed polymer is not as immediate as the response of the polymer in a solution. The time required for reaching the equilibrium conformation depends on the binding energy between the polymer and the adsorbent surface, the surface coverage, and the polymer molecular weight.

What is polyacrylamide (PAM)?

Polyacrylamide (PAM) is a water-soluble synthetic polymer which possesses useful properties such as good adhesiveness, proper hygroscopicity, high hydrophilicity, and non-toxicity. PAM composites with CNCs can be obtained by mixing an aqueous solution of PAM and an aqueous suspension of CNCs. PAM is a carbochain polymer with a side amide group.

Can polyacrylamide destabilize emulsions?

Moreover, in response to pH variations, they may be capable of inducing alternate destabilization/stabilization of the emulsions (Capron et al., 2017). Polyacrylamide (PAM) is a water-soluble synthetic polymer which possesses useful properties such as good adhesiveness, proper hygroscopicity, high hydrophilicity, and non-toxicity.

What happens if Pam macromolecules adopt a globular conformation?

If PAM macromolecules adopt a globular conformation (at low pH), the compression of the polymer chains would increase the steric repulsive force between the polymer macromolecules, reducing the mechanical properties of the composites.

How does polymer chain compression affect the re-dispersibility of Pam/CNC composites?

If no bridging is possible (PAM globule conformation at pH ≤ 3), the compression of the polymer chain increases the steric repulsive force between the polymer-adsorbed surfaces, preventing aggregation of the CNC particles and providing good re-dispersibility of the freeze-dried PAM/CNC composites. 3.9.